Why live in the Yate and Chipping Sodbury area?
Yate and Chipping Sodbury have something for all age groups. There are great Sports facilities in Yate Leisure Centre and nearby YOSC, leisure facilities including a multi-screen cinema numerous dining options and many pubs catering for all tastes.
Most local schools have great OFSTEAD ratings including many nurseries, pre-school, Infants, Juniors, Secondary, Academy and Grammar Schools. Private Education is catered for too with some local private schools and others close by.
The medical facilities are great with a wide variety of Doctors Dentists, Opticians and a 24 Hour Walk-in Centre for minor injuries. There is a wide variety of housing in the area from Modern to Old to the very Old.
There are newly developed Retirement complexes in great locations close to amenities too. The family will find Yate a great place to live with its top facilities, great Parks and Commons at nearby Westerleigh and Chipping Sodbury whilst being surrounded by glorious award winning open Countryside including The Cotswold Way and the Frome Valley Walkways.
What is there to do for families?
Families will find loads to do in Yate and Chipping Sodbury.
There is the newly opened Riverside Leisure Park with many National Eateries including Nandos, Frankie and Bennies plus Esquires Coffee Shop, T K Maxx, a large Next, Pets at Home and a great Multi Screen Cinema – Cineworld. There is also a large Soft Play Centre “Little Giggles” within the complex.
Yate Leisure Centre and Yate Outdoor Sports Centre (YOSC). The leisure centre is in the heart of Yate and offers all sporting facilities including 2 pools, Gym, Numerous health and well-being classes plus Fitness Studios Badminton Courts and a Health and Beauty/Massage Studio. The Leisure centre also hosts many Community and Health Initiatives for all ages. YOSC is on the outskirts of town and offers Athletics arena with 8 track circuit, Hockey, Football, Rugby with some 8 outdoor pitches, all weather pitches. There is also a large Community Room and offers Summer Schools and after School Clubs.
Yate and Sodbury have some 7 or so parks! The most noteworthy are; Kingsgate Park – in the heart of Yate. An Oasis waiting to be discovered. The Park has a Wooded area great to read a book in the shade! There is a large Lake (home to the rare Greater Crested Newt) with Ducks, Swans and Moor Hens. There is a model Boat section to the lake too. There is a state of the art play area for the under 12’s. On site is the amazing Vintage Bird Cage Café with its famous “Freak Shakes” an amazing calorific beast of a shake that defeats most customers. There is onsite parking and is level and great for all ages and has some great views of Stanshawe Court a historic 13th Century former country house.
Brinsham Fields – in the heart of North Yate offers a great area to walk jog or just stroll. The park has a great natural lake which is home to loads of wildlife including Swans, Ducks, Moorhens and Coots. The lake is filled with Fish and is a great spot to do some Carp fishing. There is a small play area of the under 12’s and has its own Jogging Circuit of 500m part of the 321 Run England initiative.
Finally there is Westerleigh Common to the South of Yate. There are 124 acres of open land with natural hedgerows. It’s a great place to walk, lose yourself, fly a kite, and walk your dog, bird spot or cycle. At one end is the “Road to Nowhere” a road once rumoured to be a bypass for South Yate and home to many BBC Casualty scenes. The common was once a Prisoner of War Camp and some older members of the community recall it as “The German Field”. All in all a great space protected to the Yate Town Council.
What is the schooling like in the area?
Yate and Chipping Sodbury are well served for Schools from Infants/Juniors to Secondary, Academy and Grammar Schools.
Schools are all within the greater Yate and Chipping Sodbury areas and depending on your location within the area many are within walking distance of the many developments in the area.
Most schools in the area have an OFSTED rating of “Good” and above for 2019/2020.
Private Education is well catered for too with some local private schools catering for all age groups and others close by.
Further education facilities close by includes the amazing South Glos WISE campus at Stoke Gifford, The Filton Campus and the Berkeley Green Campus at nearby Stroud. Most are accessible by bus from the Yate Terminus or direct/indirect from Yate Train Station.
Special mention must go to Bristol University which rates one of the 10thth best Universities in the UK and 11th “Cool List” destinations in the World no less!
What is the nightlife like?
Sodbury Steak House – is a must to visit. It's held within the 17th Century Squire Inn a former coaching in for the Bristol Bath London route. Booking is a must as it’s massively busy! They serve locally sourced meats that are all cooked fresh to order. There is a great bar area and if you like you can take your glass into the Street and enjoy the hustle and bustle of the High Street. They also do a mean Sunday Roast.
Talking of the High Street – Chipping Sodbury High Street is the place to be. In the day the place is bustling has on street parking and has great coffee shops, bakeries, deli’s, curio shops to mention a few. In the evenings the place is alive until the small hours. There are numerous pubs, bars and restaurants – you can literally eat around the world, Indian, Chinese, Thai, Mexican, Italian and so on. A pub crawl in the High Street is a popular pastime.
Junk food fans will love Yate and Chipping Sodbury. There are numerous takeaways from all parts of the globe. There is a very popular Nandos (always busy) on the Riverside development, a 24 Hour McDonald’s, 2 award winning Fish and Chip Bars, a plethora of good Kebab Vans at weekends to feed the High Street plus a Miss Millie’s Chicken Shop and all the best Pizza offerings. Most offer a delivery service too – so what’s not to like?
Transport links
Yate and Chipping Sodbury give easy access to local areas and wider afield via its close links to the M4, M5 and M32 Motorway networks. Bristol, Bath and Gloucester are easily commutable from Yate. Yate has its own railway station offering a local service to Bristol, Gloucester and Abbey Mead with wider areas via Bristol Temple Meads and Bristol Parkway. There are numerous cycle tracks in the area and a local bus depot which serves the local villages as well as Bristol, Bath and Gloucester.
